The Best Fully LED Headlights for the 2015-2020 Chevrolet Tahoe

One of the earliest examples of a successful SUV in America, the Chevrolet Tahoe has remained a part of the SUV and crossover craze for more than 25 years. It has gone through several styling changes and brand identities, regardless, the Tahoe has routinely been one of the most affordable full-size SUVs. Making it one of the best-selling full-size SUVs in the United States.

With its incredible popularity, it was only natural that Morimoto released an XB LED headlight for the Tahoe. They opted for the 2015-2020 Chevrolet Tahoe, and you can expect the standard Morimoto quality, ease-of-install, and light output that the brand is so well known for.

ABOUT

Due to the Tahoe’s extreme popularity in respect to the sheer number of Tahoe’s on the road, there can be a lot of LED headlight replacements on the market. It is important to remember that many manufacturers that sell these headlight assemblies, have not properly tested them.

Brands like Alpharex, GTR Lighting, and Morimoto are going to be among the few that are DOT Compliant. Marketplace brands that are manufactured in China and sold under several different brands are likely not to be DOT-Compliant.

Even if you do choose to go with one of those headlights, you are missing out on some great features and superior quality of Morimoto fully LED housings. Not to mention, all of Morimoto’s housings are fully plug-and-play, making installation very easy.

With their 2015-2020 Tahoe XB LED model, a unique start-up sequence initiates when you turn the car on. There are also these crisp, amber daytime running light (DRL) sequential turn signal that line the top, bottom, and exterior side of the headlight. If the sequential signal is too dramatic, you can easily switch to a standard blinker by unplugging the turn signal connector on the rear of the headlight.

While we are discussing the turn signal, the DRL bar that it is based on will stand out during the day and night. The DRL operates at full brightness when your headlights are off, and your car is on. Once you turn the headlights on, they dim to 50 percent brightness.

Within those incredible DRLS, the three projectors act as the low beam. The high beam lights are emitted from the bottom two bi-LED projectors. On the side of the housings, you will find an LED side marker.

PERFORMANCE

The stock headlights come in at 250 max. Lux and 930 max. Lux for the low and high beams, respectively.

Low Beam	High Beam

 

As expected, Morimoto’s XB LED housing for the ’15-20 Tahoe tested at 2040 max. Lux on low beam. That is 716 percent brighter than the OEM headlight. You will also find the standard beam pattern XBs have been known for.

On high beam, the XB LEDs came in at 2170 max. Lux, a 133 percent increase over the stock headlights. The beam pattern here is atypical for Morimoto but will still be very capable for use on the road.

The cutoff line is incredible, too. Morimoto crafts well-made beam patterns with defined edges and a great spread of light intensity. In addition, the cool white color ensures you are getting the best possible visibility from these headlights.

INSTALL

Tools Need for the Job:
7mm Bit
10mm Bit
T20 Torx Bit
Pry Tool
Impact/Ratcheting Wrench

First, remove the 12 plastic push pins holding the radiator cover down, with a pry tool. Once done, put the radiator cover to the side.

 

Using the impact/ratcheting wrench, remove the six 10mm bolts dotted across the top of the grill.

If you have parking sensors or fog lights on your Tahoe, you will need to unplug the harness resting on top of your grill.

Once done, you can move to your wheel well where you will be removing six 7mm bolts. At the base of the wheel well and under the car, there are three 10mm bolts that also need to be removed. Also, remove the one plastic pushpin.

 

Repeat for both sides.

Dotted along the base of the front of the Tahoe, there are two 10mm bolts.

 

You can then gently pry the edges of the front bumper away from the car.

Using a pry tool, wedge the top of the grill away from the SUV. Do the same for the two plastic clips at the very bottom of the grill.

You can then remove the grill. Be sure to have a friend or be really strong as the grill is attached to the front bumper.

To remove the headlights, there are two 10mm bolts at the top of the headlight housing and two at the bottom, facing outwards.

Use a pry tool to pry the mounts away from the body of the Tahoe. If this is your first time removing the headlight, it may be difficult to pry the headlight from the SUV. Take your time.

Once removed, unplug the factory connectors, and set your headlight assembly to the side.

Repeat for the other headlight.

Brackets

Before fully connecting the XB LED headlight to the Tahoe, you will need to transfer the OEM brackets to the XB LED housings.

Using a T20 torx bit, remove the three screws on the bottom of the OEM housing.

Remove the chrome piece on the top of the headlight by unscrewing the five T20 screws. Do the same for the piece next to the chrome piece.

You can reapply these same trim pieces onto the XB LED housing using the same T20 screws.

Wiring

While these are plug-and-play housings, you do need to run a DRL harness. No need to worry, all you need to do is remove the number 75 fuse slot and plug in the harness.

Then, route the longest wire to the furthest headlight and the shortest wire to the closest headlight.

Connect the DRL harness to your XB LED headlight, along with the two factory connectors.

If you connect these two connectors, you will have a sequential turn signal. If you leave them unplugged, you can get the blinking turn signal.

Before buttoning up your car, make sure the headlights work properly by running through each of their functions.

You can also easily adjust the height of your headlights using a Phillips screwdriver.

CONCLUSION

Now that you are all squared away, you can hit the road with your new Morimoto XB LED headlights!

If you would like to see these lights in action, check out the video below where Morimoto gives you a tour of the XB LED headlights for the 2015-2020 Chevrolet Tahoe.

Want your own set of XBs but do not have a Tahoe? Head over to their website, put in your vehicle Year/Make/Model, and see what Morimoto has to offer for your ride.

Have any questions about the products mentioned? Looking for something Morimoto does not offer? Just want to say ‘Hi’? Drop us a comment! We would love to hear from you.

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